The following guest post is by Houda Lazrak, a graduate student in Museum Studies at New York University.

This past weekend, Hanksy’s much-anticipated show, The Best of the Worst, drew hundreds of street art fans to the former Chase Bank at 104 Delancey Street on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Along with some of NYC’s most notable graffiti writers and street artists, Hanksy transformed the space into a NYC playground-like arena — with a skate ramp, a Chinese massage parlor and more wonderfully-engaging site-specific installations. Dozens of intriguing, overlapping pieces, paste-ups and stickers paid homage to street art, while, also, poking fun at the scene.

For the past several years, Mor‘s exquisitely-fashioned stencils have been surfacing on the streets of NYC and beyond. I had the opportunity to speak to Mor earlier this week at Con Artist, where she was preparing for tomorrow’s opening at City Bird Gallery.

When did you first get up on the streets? What was your medium at the time?

I started almost five years ago with hand-made stickers. And the following year, I pasted up my first one-layer stencil – a face looking upward — in Williamsburg.

What inspired you to work with stencils?

When I was in middle school, I was living in Bushwick — in its early stages of gentrification. I remember passing Swoon’s work on my way to school. Its beauty astounded me. She is my greatest inspiration. And C215’s amazing work – that surfaced in Brooklyn back then — also moved me to experiment with stencils.

What about the streets? What was the appeal of the streets to you?

I love the notion of creating something beautiful and just giving it to others.

Were you ever arrested back then?

I was once caught tagging with a black marker, and I ended up spending the night in jail. It is a risk that all street artists take.

How did your family feel about what you were doing?

They were positive, encouraging me to do what makes me happy.

Do you have a formal arts education?

I am, for the most part, self-taught. But my art teachers always encouraged me.

Any thoughts on the graffiti street art divide?

There definitely is a divide, and there will always be some kind of beef between graffiti writers and street artists. It’s not cool when a street artist goes over graffiti. Nor is it cool when a writer tags over street art. But I think the media – particularly the Internet – is partly responsible for the beef.

How do you feel about the role of the Internet in this scene?

It has definitely changed the playing field! It’s great that it gives permanence to a transient art form. But — on the negative side — it boosts a type of showmanship, while giving exposure to mediocre artwork.

What inspires you these days?

Much of my inspiration comes from my dreams. I’m also into mysticism.

Are there any particular cultures that have influenced your aesthetic?

Tribal ones have the most influence.

Have you collaborated with other artists?

I haven’t in the past, but I will be painting with Ian Bertram at City Bird in preparation for our joint exhibit.

How do you feel about the movement of street art and graffiti into galleries?

As my father is an artist, I grew up around galleries. I do think, though, that there is something sterile about galleries as compared to public spaces. Showing in a gallery is very different from getting up on the streets. And I don’t feel that the art world understands art — not just street art, any art!

How has your work evolved in the past few years?

The streets have energized me to keep pushing myself. I feel that I’ve grown so much in just finding my process.

Have you any preferred surfaces when you are out on the streets?

I love brick walls — the way art ages on brick walls. And I like smooth doors because they’re easy to use.

How would you describe your ideal working space?

At the moment I have my ideal working space — here at Con Artist. I love my Con Artist family. But I can imagine some day sharing a huge space with the extraordinarily talented Ian Bertram, a constant source of inspiration!

What percentage of your time is devoted to art?

As much time as I possibly can — when I’m not dealing with family responsibilities or bartending, my main source of income.

Any thoughts about the marketing of graffiti by the corporate world?

We all know that the corporate world is filled with scoundrels and pirates, but we also know that as artists, we need its financial support.

What do you see as the role of the artist in society?

It is the artist’s role to channel deeply seated emotions and creativity in a positive way. It is an essential role.

What do you see as the future of street art?

I have no idea where it’s going. There’s been too much hype around street art. But graffiti will always sustain. Someone will always be writing his or her name on a wall.

What’s ahead for you?

I just want to continue to channel my creativity into living a productive life as an artist, while engaging and, hopefully, enriching others. Tomorrow night I will be showing my newest pieces, alongside Ian Bertram, at City Bird Gallery.

On exhibit through tomorrow — Saturday — evening at 17 Frost is Royce Bannon‘s Living the After Life. Fashioned on a range of found surfaces — some collaboratively — all of the images intrigue. Curious as to what is going on, I posed some questions to Royce.

What does this all mean? What is going on here?

These works represent my ideal vision of the afterlife — doing the things that I enjoy doing — when I am living as a ghost. It is a celebration of life after death.

What, do you suppose, was the impetus behind this theme? Why the focus on life after death?

My mother recently died. For quite awhile I’d been preparing myself for her death and thinking about the afterlife. Death is not the end.

How have folks responded to this body of work?

The response has been positive. There’s been considerable interest in the works.

How can folks to be sure see the exhibit before it closes?

Everyone is invited to the closing party to be held tomorrow evening — Saturday, March 21 — at 17 Frost Street from 7-11pm.

Note: Tomorrow evening’s closing party will feature a new collabo with EKG and a live drum machine performance by Jefferson Wells.

Home to three distinct galleries – Artemisia Gallery, Azart Gallery and MZ Urban Art – Chelsea 27 is currently presenting Spring Group Show featuring works by an eclectic range of emerging and established international artists. While visiting the gallery yesterday, we had the opportunity to speak to Marina Hadley, owner of MZ Urban Art.

Can you tell us something about Chelsea 27? This current exhibit features artworks presented by three distinct galleries, yet the pieces seem to seamlessly work together.

We are three friends. I had previously worked with Latifa Metheny, the owner of Azart Gallery, at 547 West 27th Street, and I met Christine Jeanquier, who runs Artemisia Gallery, through a mutual friend. We respect each other’s visions and choices.

You seem to all share a somewhat similar vision.

Yes, we are interested in showcasing emerging and contemporary artists — who are working in a range of media and styles – from across the globe. We are interested, too, in discovering new talents. Latifa Metheny particularly focuses on the culture of street art and Christine Jeanquier on French artists.

Why did you choose this particular location?

It is on the ground level of an ideal space in the heart of the Chelsea art district. It was a step I was ready to take, as it is the perfect location for attracting serious collectors.

Yes, it does seem perfect! What advice would you offer an emerging artist who would like to see his work featured in a Chelsea gallery?

Before approaching a gallery, get to know its owner and the work that it features. That is how you will know if the gallery is likely to be receptive to your work. Be sure to have a professional-looking website with each image labeled with its size and medium. When visiting a gallery, bring business cards and a cover letter that look professional. Check out — as often as possible — what other artists are doing. Work hard and be persistent! And be sure to have a body of work and a recognizable style before approaching a gallery owner.

That certainly sounds like great advice! Is there anything in particular that you, yourself, look for in an artist?

Yes, I look for someone who has a statement to make and is willing to take risks to make it. I develop a personal relationship with each artist whose works I exhibit.

So much is happening in the contemporary art scene. How do you keep up with it all?

I follow social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. I regularly read the New York Times, the London Times and the LA Times. I read essential blogs and I talk to people.

We’re looking forward to upcoming exhibits and events, and we are delighted that Chelsea 27 is showcasing so many artists who are active on our streets.

An extraordinary range of artworks in various media celebrating the iconic Mickey Mouse is currently on exhibit at PIQ at 8 Grand Central Terminal in the Shuttle Passage. Among the artists featured in Twisted Mouse are many who also grace the streets of our cities. I recently had the opportunity to speak to its curator, Sabina Nowik.

Can you tell us something about this exhibit? What is happening here?

It is a celebration of Mickey Mouse with dozens of works ranging from the quirky to the gruesome.

Why Mickey Mouse? What is his significance to you?

Having lived and worked in Orlando, Florida, I’ve always had a special relationship with Disney’s characters. Mickey Mouse represents youth and fun!

How did you bring such an extraordinary array of artists together? How did you find them all?

I knew some of the artists from the previous exhibit here at PIQ; some I discovered via word-of-mouth. And I did considerable online research.

What was the experience like? Was it different from what you had expected?

It was very pleasant, as I had expected it to be. But the installation itself — incorporating everything from soft vinyl to triptych art — came together far more seamlessly than I had anticipated.

Australian native Damien Mitchell has been gracing NYC walls with his wonderful talents since moving here two years ago. We visited him at his studio while he was readying for his solo exhibit — Tools of the Trade — opening tomorrow Friday, the 13th, at Low Brow Artique.

When and where did you first share your artwork on a public space?

My first experience with graffiti was at age 8. I wrote ‘fuk’ on the underside of our family’s coffee table. I then blamed it on my two-year old niece, Alice.

What or who inspired you to do so?

I can’t remember — though it must have been important, as I still do it now and then. Alice is getting really sick of my shit.

Do you have a formal art education?

No.

How do you feel about the movement of works by street artists and graffiti writers into galleries? Have you exhibited your work in a gallery setting? If so, where and when?

It is what it is. When you take a work off a truck or wall and stick it in a gallery, it no longer moves like it does outside. It can’t sneak up on you or take you by surprise. That said, I am showing paintings at Low Brow Artique tomorrow, Friday the 13th, from 6-9pm.

When did you come to NYC? What brought you here?

I first arrived five years ago to visit my wife’s family. I was only here for a few weeks, but I got a few walls up including one at 5Pointz – R.I.P. We moved over here for a longer term on Independence Day two years ago.

What are some of the specific challenges of working/living here in NYC as an artist?

Like anywhere, when you give your work away for free on walls — often times against the will of the building owner — things can get a little weird. Luckily, there are lots of walls to go around, and sometimes they even pay you for it.

Where else have you painted? Have you a favorite city?

When I was 18, I moved to Prague in the Czech Republic. I lived there for eight years painting everything I could. Say what you will about the hangover from the Soviet era but it sure left a lot of bare concrete walls. Also, I once painted my butthole blue just to see if it would change the color of my poop. It didn’t.

Any thoughts about the street art/graffiti divide?

Personally, I wear two hats. I think it’s nice to be able to drink beer in the summer time, while painting a wall at a block party somewhere, but it’s also fun as hell to run around writing shit on walls on the sly. Graffiti heads get all pissy because their work is illegitimatized by street art’s aesthetics and message.

How do you feel about the role of the Internet in all this?

When I was growing up in rural Australia, the Internet was the only way to see any of this stuff. If it wasn’t for sites like Stencil Revolution, I probably would have become a plumber or something.

Do you prefer working alone or painting with others? With whom have you collaborated? Is there anyone in particular with whom you’d like to collaborate?

For legal walls, I’m up for collaboration. There are things you learn and tips — you don’t realize you are giving — that make artists better when they work together. This last year I was lucky enough to work with Edob Love and Heesco painting a couple of walls here in NYC. Who knows what will pop up in 2015?

Do you work with a sketch in hand? Or do you just let it flow?

Both. When I’m painting a large portrait, I usually have some kind of sketch with me to start with, and then I let it go. Showing up to a wall with a big bag of paints and just emptying them all as it goes makes for some of my favorite work, though.

How has your artwork evolved during the past few years? Has living in NYC affected your aesthetic?

Since living in NYC, I’ve been offered larger walls, so I’ve had to significantly change how I work. For years I was painting primarily with stencils, but once the walls got big enough, I ditched them. As for aesthetic, I paint what’s around me, so the city and its residents constantly pop up in my work.

What do you see as the role of the artist in society?

I don’t know what the role of the fine artist is, though the role of the graffiti artist — in my opinion — is to be the voice of social change. When there is nowhere to raise your voice, grab some paint and write it on the wall.

Can you tell us something about your exhibit that opens tomorrow at Low Brow Artique?

It’s called Tools of the Trade. A homage to graffiti, it celebrates the tools used by graffiti artists.

What’s ahead for you?

After spending some more time here in NYC, my wife and I are heading to Brazil. The more I look, the more I like!

Featured in this past Monday’s New York Times, Nic 707’s ingenious Instaphame Phantom Art project continues to transform NYC subway cars into instant galleries. These are some images I captured on a recent ride from Yankee Stadium to Coney Island:

An impassioned graffiti artist, Stockholm native Scratch is the only female to have painted at the legendary Graffiti Hall of Fame for four consecutive years. Last year, together with her writing partner, Lady K Fever, she founded The Bronx Graffiti Art Gallery an outdoor public art space featuring several internationally acclaimed graffiti artists. Scratch‘s public works can be seen in the Bronx, East Harlem and in Upper Manhattan.

When and where did you first get up?

I was 14 when I first painted in my native city of Stockholm. But I was a toy back then!

What were the circumstances?

The Swedish town I was living in at the time had become concerned about its “graffiti problem.” And so the government decided to establish a “graffiti school,” where we would be taught to paint in legal venues. I just wanted a space and free paint.

What was that experience like?

There were no formal classes, so we were free to learn from each other. And of course just about everyone who attended improved their skills and continued to painting illegally! I was the only girl who showed up.

Were there any artists who inspired you back then?

Yes! There was Brain – who taught at the “graffiti school.” He was a major inspiration. And others who inspired me were Circle, Ward, Ziggy & Dizzy and Zappo.

Did you do anything risky back then?

One Christmas morning – when all the shutters were down – I went out and bombed just about every store on my town’s main street.

That does sound risky! Why were you willing to take that kind of risk?

I was only 14; I didn’t really think about the consequences of my actions.

You moved to NYC in 1998 to work as a graphic designer. When did you begin painting graffiti here? And what got you back into it?

I hadn’t painted for many years. And then one day, as I was riding the 7 train into Flushing, I passed 5Pointz. I couldn’t believe my eyes! A few days later, I went back to check it out, and that was it! I was hooked again. That was back in 2008.

It was great. Meres is an amazing teacher, and just about all the writers I met there were kind and helpful.

Any thoughts on the graffiti/ street art divide?

Graffiti and street art are very different. There may be some crossover, but they will remain distinct art forms. Graffiti is still identified with vandalism, and street artists get far more respect and recognition than do graffiti writers. But graffiti – to me – is stronger. It is more honest and direct.

How do you feel about the movement of graffiti into galleries? Have you shown your work in galleries?

Graffiti wasn’t intended to be painted on a canvas. Sometimes it works; other times it doesn’t. But I have no problem with it. Yes, I’ve shown in a number of galleries.

What about the corporate world? Any thoughts about that?

I’m used to it. My background is in advertising.

Do you prefer working alone or collaborating with others?

I often work alone, but I’ve collaborated with Lady K Fever, and I assisted Kingbee and Vase at the Graffiti Hall of Fame. I like both! I look forward to collaborating more with other artists.

How do you feel about the role of the Internet in this scene?

I feel positive about it. I get to see artworks I would never, otherwise, get to see

Do you have a formal arts education?

No, my background is in advertising and marketing. I studied at Pace University.

Since the February 13th opening of EKG♥NYC, NYC-based writer EKG has been busy at work on his installation for the closing reception. We stopped by earlier this week and had the opportunity to ask the artist a few questions:

Your orange pulse has become an integral part of our city’s visual landscape. What does it represent?

It’s chemical communication...an expression of connectedness and collaboration. It’s a sign of energy vibrating on everything everywhere. I see it as the heartbeat of our city.

Why orange?

I like its intensity and the way it integrates into the cityscape.

This installation is astounding! The walls are covered with cryptic orange diagrams. A cloudy haze emanating from a heavy metal concert fog machine fills the air, and your iconic symbol is everywhere — on and amidst milk crates, ladders, spray cans, cages and more. What is going on here?

It’s an abstract sillouette of New York’s cityscape. All of the elements represent the connections among all things. The smoke and the electronic music heighten the intensity of it all.

Your official opening was on February 13th, the day before Valentine’s Day. Can you tell us something about that? And how did that go?

It was originally intended as an All Hallows’ Valentine’ Eve celebration of misfit love, mutant science and aesthetic rebellion. The turnout was great and the entire experience was awesome!

I love your shop here. Your symbol is everywhere from t-shirts and zines to prints and paintings — and everything is so affordable!